


Runaway

by quetzalzotz



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Runaway, Teenagers, smut to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-08 17:41:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7767187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quetzalzotz/pseuds/quetzalzotz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Armitage Brendol Hux, 16, is fed up with the things he's endured. He steals a shuttle and he flees the FO. Rescued by the Resistance, Hux has to deal with people not trusting him, the traumas of his past haunting him, and a hot roommate who seems to be hiding something under that cocky exterior.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leaving Home

“I’m calling to anyone listening to this frequency. My shuttle number is 1374-93D. My engines are down; my life support systems are failing. I request immediate assistance. This is not a trap. My name is Armitage Brendol Hux, and I have fled the First Order. I am sixteen years old.”

He hoped the Resistance would find him, and that the frequency he used was still in use. The FO had intercepted it almost four months ago. 

Hux looked at the dials, sighing. His main systems were failing. He’d be dead in an hour. Leaning into his chair, he closed his eyes and thought about the decisions that led up to this point.

He couldn’t take it anymore, he decided. Hux stared at the purple bloom on his back, reflected in the mirror. It would be hidden easily. The marks around his wrists were black and yellow, much more noticeable. A chunk of his hair was missing by his nape. He hadn’t washed the blood off his split lip yet either. 

Holding a damp cloth up to his lip, Hux sighed, staring at his reflection. This would just happen again, and again, and again. And it was escalating. He wouldn’t be able to hide it next time. The split lip would be bad enough, and he had been lucky. The punch was aimed at his nose. 

He leaned against the sink, considering. On one hand, he was poised to get his own ship in a few years, a commanding officer. He would be in control, and in charge. He could emerge from the ashes like a phoenix. On the other, he might not survive more beatings. He could finish at the academy and join a civilian force, but again, he might not get out of there alive. Or he could run. He scraped together a few credits, enough to have someone help smuggle him out of First Order territory. He would have to steal a shuttle to get off Arkanis. It wouldn’t be impossible, but it would be difficult and risky. 

It was tempting. He could be free, working almost anywhere. He was a skilled engineer, and he had plenty of assets to help him have a real life, not one under the gaze of the First Order. He could have a home, and no one could tell him what to do. The idea bounced around in his head, growing stronger. Even as he drifted off to sleep, the idea stayed. 

_New recruits in the shuttle bay would have their first shifts next week,_ Hux jotted down. _It’s a test for them and their readiness. A mock raid will be staged to evaluate their skills_. He glanced around to make sure no one could see what he was writing. That’s when he’d strike. In the chaos, he could get a shuttle off the ground and enter into hyperspace before they realized what was happening.

It was a dangerous plan. There was a chance he’d get caught, and that would almost certainly mean death. The bruise on his back smarted as he leaned back, reminding him of the pain. What other choice did he have?

Hux spent the rest of the week avoiding any suspicion. He was perfect, every movement precise and calculated. He felt paranoid, that everyone knew what he was planning. But, as far as he knew, the Commandant couldn’t read minds just yet. He knew he’d need rest and a level head to pull this off. Sleep often eluded him, his mind playing through all the scenarios that could happen. All of them ended in a firing squad. 

He packed only his essentials, afraid that if he brought too much, he’d arouse suspicion. Being an older student had perks, such as being able to volunteer as a “raider.” He knew exactly what the plan was, and exactly how to deviate from them. He would sneak in with other members of his class, and when the smoke bombs went off, he would rush to a shuttle and take off. 

He’d be free tonight.

He was quiet as he made his way to the hanger, hanging behind the main group. The “rebel commander” counted down. 

Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Boom. A smoke bomb detonated, and alarms started wailing. The young cadets looked terrified. For them, this was a real raid. They quickly manned their stations, working on closing off exits. Hux ran, slipping into the closest shuttle and powering it up. 

His heart hammered, positive he’d run out of time. But he was lucky, the ship powered up and he bolted. He felt sick, his legs weak even though he was sitting, and his fingers shook.

Down on the ground, commanding officers were confused and panicked. No one was supposed to move a shuttle; that hadn’t been in the battle plan. A commanding officer fired at the shuttle. A bolt hit the ship, causing it to rock. “Main engines damaged,” a cool female voice said. 

“Shit!” Hux growled, punching in coordinates for the hyperdrive. 

“Warning: entering hyperspace may cause engine failure. Do you wish to continue?”

Hux paused for half a second before confirming. It was happening.

A small explosion brought him out of hyperspace. He had no idea how far he had gotten, or if the academy was tailing him. But his engines were now gone, and the explosion had caused damage to the other systems. Either way, he would die. 

His last hope, his only beacon, would be a distress call on rebellion frequencies. Swallowing his pride, Hux hit the comm button. “I’m calling to anyone listening to this frequency.”


	2. Orphans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux wakes up in a strange place, with strange people. Can he fit in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, an update! Unbeta'd so feel free to point out any mistakes.

The familiar smells of the hospital woke him up. Hux felt his head pound, muscles tight and tense. His back was hurting again, the bruise aggravated from laying down, but he couldn’t roll to his side. His hand was cuffed to the railing of the bed. 

“General!” A voice called, “General, he’s awake!”

Had the Academy caught up with him? His heart thudded.

But a female voice replied, “thank you. I’ll see to him now.”

Hux forced his eyes open to see a small woman sitting in a chair beside him. She was older, with streaks of grey running through her brown braids, neatly pinned on top of her head. 

“Organa?” He croaked out.

Her lip quirked into a small smile. “Were you expecting someone else?”

“I don’t know what I was expecting.”

“One of our pilots intercepted your distress call. You were unconscious and barely breathing. He brought you here, and you’ve been asleep for three days.” She poured some water for him and propped his head up to allow him to drink. “We know who you are, and we know who your father is. What we don’t know is why you left.”

Hux held up his free wrist, the bruising faded but still noticeable. “I was tired to being beat for having a hair out of place, or a scuff on my boot.”

If Leia was surprised or disgusted, she hid it well. “We need evidence you’re not a spy.”

Hux bristled. He risked his life to escape and now he was being accused of being an agent of the people he was fleeing from. “Yes, I definitely got shot at so that I could spy on you.” He flushed red the minute the words left his mouth, sarcasm usually leading to a quick slap across the face. 

To his surprise, Leia chuckled. “You’d be surprised at the lengths people will go to. I have the schematics of a ship that we believe is a supply ship. We’d like to destroy it. If you can give us information to help us do that, you’ll be welcomed here. If not, I will use you in a prisoner exchange and send you back to your father.”

He felt the colour drain from his face. With a weak voice he asked, “can I see the blueprints?”

Walking was difficult. Hux’s legs still felt weak from being in bed so long. Leia was patient with him, allowing him to shuffle along slowly. He didn’t understand why she was being nice to him. He was an enemy still, technically. Until that ship blew up. 

“These are slow moving robotic ships,” Hux said, examining the hologram. “But they’re heavily armoured.”

“Our weapons can’t penetrate the hulls.”

“No, you wouldn’t be able to,” Hux muttered to himself. He looked at the ship from every angle. He had studied these ships before. They were the FOs latest toy, and they were quite proud of them. Designed to withstand even the heaviest fire, these tanks seemed indestructible. “You have to confuse their navigation system. Make them think they’re at their next drop off location. The shields will lower, so it’ll be easier to penetrate the hull. It’s still not easy to break through, but if you just keep targeting the engines, you will.”

“How do we confuse their navigation?”

“Frequency jamming, and then you give the access code for whatever planet you’re trying to masquerade as. I only know the ones for Arkanis.” He keyed them into the system. “It should work still. I doubt they changed it because I fled.”

With a quick nod, Leia dispatched her squad. Hux listened to the radio transmissions, terrified. If this didn't work, he'd be back there, back to being beaten and bloodied. He poked at the bruise on his wrist, refusing to give into the pain. At the Academy, despite the horrors, Hux felt powerful and strong. Here he felt small, a feeling he only got when... 

He shook his head, dislodging those thoughts. Here he would find peace. 

The mission had been a success, and while the pilots couldn't salvage any supplies, the air was jubilant. Leia met her X-Wing fighters on the ground, giving them all reassuring grins as they swaggered back in.

Hux thought they looked arrogant. TIE pilots were orderly and disciplined. This crew seemed wild and rambunctious. 

He scowled as they passed, staying in the shadows. They would have been court martialed at the Academy. 

One was especially loud. He was young, almost too young to be a pilot, smacking his companion's ass as he walked by congratulating him on a job well done. His tanned skin seemed to glow and his dark curls framed his face nicely, if a little mussed from the helmet. Hux watched him walk by, ignoring everything around him. 

"He's the other orphan" 

Hux jumped. "You startled me!" 

Leia chuckled, apologizing. "That's Poe Dameron. His parents died in action. He's been the orphan in base ever since. He's the one who found you."

Hux didn't know what to say, so he fiddled with his hands. 

"He's your age, so we'll be putting you with him. We're short on space so everyone has to double up."

"Can't I stay in the hospital?" 

She laughed again. "No one had ever asked for that, but no. You're healthy enough, so I think it's time we find your strengths and put you to work. You'll be a very valuable asset, Hux."

Hux didn't come with many belongings, easily slinging the light pack over his shoulder. The nurse smiled at him, though he felt as though it was forced. No one wanted him here. 

He paused at Dameron's door, a surge of nerves hitting him as he knocked on the door. 


End file.
